Tracking device



C. L. EM MONS.

TRACKING DEVICE.- APPLICATION man ocT. 21. 1920.

1,387,371, y PatentedAug. 9,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- 0. l.. EMMONS.

TRACKING DEVICE.

Mmc/mou FILED ocr. 21, 1920.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.K

VCHARLES L. E'MMONS, 0F CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TRACKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

justment relative to the tracker-bar, music-A roll, etc.; and also resides in the further means, intended for manipulation by the user of the instrument, to adjust the trackin device to operate with music-sheets of di erent widths.

yMy present device has these and other features and advantages which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from an under-V standing of the following description in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the music-roll box portion of a player-piano embodying my tracking-device improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view partly in horizontal section on the line 2-2 in Fig 1, or on the same line in Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in vertical section on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the tracker-bar and related parts as seen from the front of the instrument as in Fig. 1.

I will now describe the devices of the drawings illustrating only one of the possible embodiments of my invention, this, however, being the at present preferred embodiment thereof. .c

The illustrated player-piano parts'v comprise the following: 1 is the tracker-box; 2 kthe trackerbar; 3 the take-up `spool supported on the trunnions' 4; yand 5 isa musicroll spool and perforated music-sheet. Said s ool is removably supported as usualon t e spindles 6 and 8 is the usual pneumatic motor for unwinding and rewinding the music-sheet.v 9 is the usual clutch-lever means for voperating the usual clutch-sleeve 10, so that the motor 8 can be causedeither to drive v`the take-,up spool 3 to unwind and play the perforated music-sheet, or vice versa to drive themusic-A roll spool 5 to rewindthe music-sheetu on its spoolafteritfhas been played. yThe il ustrated chain and sprocket mechanism and the gearing comprise the usual mechanism for accomplishing this and consequently need no detailed description.

llis a-tension spring connecting the leftV h and music-rollsupporting-spindle with the side of the tracker-box so as lto press the splndle yieldingly tothe right and also to force the right handle spindle 7 yieldingly to the right when the music-roll 'spool 5 is located between the spindles, thereby keeping the free end of said right hand spindle constantly against the face of the cam 12.y This cam is part of theelbow-lcver 13 pivotally supported at 14-on a fixed part or frame.

15 and v16 are a pair of opposed pneumaticsmounted on opposite sides of a stationarily supported board 17, aV link 18 connecting the. movable boards of said pneumatics.

Both pneumatics are normally on suction applled through the pipe 19, channel 20 in the stationary board and the bleeds 21-21. Otherchannels 22 and 23 in the stationary board connect freely with the respective pneumatics 15 and 16 at their upper ends and with the tubes 24 and 25 at their lowerv ends. The other ends of these tubes 24 and 25 connect respectively with the elbowshaped tubes or nipples 24a and 25a. (See Fig. 2).

The mouths of these nipples constitute ports appurtenant to tracker-bar and con trolled respectively bythe valves 26 and 27 to govern the admission of atmospheric air intolthe above described pneumatics 15fand 16, and thereby influence and control their operation. y

These vpneumatics communicate their motion to Irock the above described cam-lever 1 3 by means ofthe rod-member 28-29 (Fig. l), 29 being the usual turn-buckle and oppositelyscrew-threaded connection ,for accurately adjusting the length of the member when setting up thefdevice. f f

The above described-nipples' 25a and 25b form part o-f the horizontally extending blocks 30 and k31 (see plan view Fig. 2) sup-l ported `by the leaf-springs 32 and 33 from the Asides of thetracker-box. `Said blocks 30-31 iare adjustably connected with each other by thek -rod 34 whjoseoppositely screwthreaded ends 34a and 34h engage correspondingly screw-threaded blocks or parts 35 and 36 having screw-threaded stems 35a and 36a respectively, which engage threadedopenings in the respective blocks 30 and 31. But these stems are not screwed up hard against any shoulder. On the contra-ry, they are purposely free to rotate in both directions so that the blocks 30 and 31 can freely swivel relatively to the head-parts and 36 of the stems which as above described are mounted on the oppositely screw-threaded ends of the rod 34k.

87 is a knurled-head fixed on the right hand end of the rod 34 large enough in diameter to project through and below a fore and aft slot in the lower board 38 oit the casing of the tracker-bar. This permits the player of the instrument to rotate the knurled head by applying the linger to it on the under-side of the tracker-bar. Depending upon the direction ot rotation given said knurled-headf-the rod 34 will be correspondingly rotated and its oppositely screwthreaded ends will simultaneously and equally adjust the parts 35-36 either farther apart or nearer together. Further, the blocks 30 and 31 supported as described on the stems of said parts 35-36 will receive the same adjustment and at the same time can swivel slightly as required by their attachment by the leaf-springs 32-33 to the sides of the tracker-bar.

These leaf-springs 32 and 33 are tensioned so as to press the blocks 8O and 81 constantly toward each other and thereby take up any lost motion or play in the described connections between said blocks and the rod 34.

Referring back now to the valves 26 and 27, these are supported respectively on the rear ends of the levers 39 and a() centrally pivoted at 39a and 40a to the blocks 30 and 31, with their front ends 39b and 4Gb projecting freely through special openings in the tracker-bar so as to be engaged by the two side-edges of the music-sheet traveling across the tracker-bar between them. The usual light springs 41 and 42 normally keep or tend to keep the valves 26 and 27 lightly seated on the control ports.

The described manipulation oi the knurled head 37 to adjust at will the blocks 30 and 31 simultaneously and equally either nearer together or farther apart will, of course, impart the same adjustment to the aforesaid valve levers 39 and 40 carried by said blocks. In other words, the player of the instrument by means of the knurled head 37 can very easily and quickly adjust the projecting ends 39h and 40b (Fig. 2) of the levers so that they both just touch the side-edges of the given music-sheet; and can readily effect this same adjustment every time he plays a music-sheet which is wider or narrower than the previously played music-sheet.

I have purposely made the knurled head 37 project through aslot in the bottom as distinguished from the top oi the trackerbar casing so as not to receive as much dust and so that its-adjustment will not be so likely to be accidentally changed when dusting the instrument, etc. 7o y ihe foregoing assumes that the mechanisni supported by the leaf-springs 32-33 has previously received a factory adjustment so that it centralized, that is to say, symmetrically disposed relatively to the median, line ot travel of a normal music-sheet in normal tracking relationship to the tra cker-b ar.

rlhis requires a delicate factory adjustmeut oi the aforesaid mechanism as an entirety relatively to the tracker-bar, etc., to accomplish which I provide means as iollows In the first place, I give greater tension to the leaf-spring 32 so that it tends lo overpower 33 and torce to the left in Figs. 1 and 2 the entire mechanism supportcd by said springs. Secondly, I adjustably oppose this action of said stronger spring 32 by providing a screw L13 which projects through the lei't cheek oi' the tracker-box and abuts against the leitt hand end of the rod By turning this screw, the mechanism, including the valve lever ends 89h and 40h, supported by the springs 32 and 34, can be adjusted into accurate symmetrical relationship relatively to the tracker-bar music-ducts, etc. This once accomplished, thenitbecomes possible for the player toadjust, as already dcscril'ied, said lever-ends 39" and 40 to music-sheets or" different widths by operating the knurled-head 37.

To prevent the screw 4:3 from unintentionally turning and putting the mechanism out ot adjustment, I provide any suitable means such as a strong leaf-spring 44 pressing 105 frictionally against the head 43a ot' the screw. Also prei'erably, I make the plate 45 oi' sole-leather or other gripping material through which the threaded end of the screw 13 is'tapped.

Aside from the described adjustment features, the tracking-device works in the usual manner, viz As long as the music sheet remains in track, the pneumatics 15 and 16 are balanced in power and the parts are maintained in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1. As soon, however, as the traveling sheet begins to` swerve out oi! track, it opens wider the valve (26 or 27) on that side, whose port thereupon allows relatively more atmospheric air into the connected pneumatic (15 or 16), weakening it and causing it to be overpowered by the other pneumatic, which in turn results in sliding the rod 28 and swinging the cam-lever 13 to adjust the 125 cam 12 to adjust the music spool in the proper direction to restore the sheet back into track. c

Of course, changes and modifications can be made in the foregoing embodiment of my invention which will be obvious to those skilled in the art without departing from the essential nature and spirlt thereof or of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a tracking device for an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a unitary structure comprising the .{control ports of the tracking device together with means for adj usting'them equally and simultaneously nearer together or farther apart;y

and means for adjusting said unitary structure to centralize 1t in its operative position.

2. In a tracking device for an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a unitary structure comprising the control ports of the tracking device together with means for adjusting them nearer together or farther apart; and means for adjusting said unitary structure to centralize it in its operative position.

3. YIn a tracking device for an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a unitary structure comprising the control ports of the tracking device together with a rotary rod having oppositely threaded ends having screw-connection with said Orts for adjustin them nearer together or arther apart; an means for ad'usting said unitary structure to centralize it 1n its operative osition. v

4. n a tracking device for an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a unitary structure comprising the ycontrol ports of the tracking device together with a rotary rod having oppositely threaded ends having screw-connection with said ports for adjusting them nearer together or farther apart; a spring for pressing said unitary structure in one direction and means for adjusting said structure in the opposite direction against the tension of said spring.

5. In a tracking device for an automatic musical instrument, the combination of control-port parts spring-supported at the sides of the tracker-box, one of said parts being spring-pressed more strongly than the other toward the opposite side of the tracker-box, a rotary rod having oppositely screw-threaded ends, nuts on said ends having swiveling connection respectively with the controlport parts, and an adjusting screw acting on said rod in opposition to the aforesaid stronger spring.

6. In a tracking device for an automatic musical instrument, the combination of control-port parts movably supported at the sides of the tracker-box, a rotary rod having oppositely screw-threaded ends, nuts on said ends having swiveling connection respectively with the control-port parts, and means for manually rotating said rod accessible from the underside of the tracker-bar.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecilication this 18th day of October, 1920.

oHARLEs L. EMMoNs. 

